Improvement in water-wheels



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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

ALONZO WARREN AND ELIJAH DAMON, J R., OF VAREHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-WH EELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 20,234, dated May 11,1858.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that We, ALONZO WARREN and ELIJAH DAMoN, Jr., both ot'Wareham, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Horizontal Water-W heels; andwe do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings,making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a verticalcentral section of a water-wheel and its scroll, showing ourimprovement. Fig. 2 is a detached inverted plan of the wheel.

, Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the twofigures.

The object of this invention is to render available as power theleakage-water-that is, the portion that usually escapes between the rimsof the wheel and the scroll and has hitherto been wholly lost,diminishing to a considerable degree the maximum power of the wheel.

The invention consists in the employment or use of auxiliary bucketsattached to the under side of the wheel and arranged relatively with thespace or leakage between the lower rim of the wheel and the scroll,whereby the water or leakagewater as it escapes is made to impinge onauxiliary buckets and thereby assist in propelling the wheel.

The invention also consists in using, in connection with the auxiliarybuckets, certain means for preventing the upward escape of water betweenthe upper disk of the wheel and the scroll, so that all or nearly allthe waste water will be rendered available for the purpose specified.

To enable those skilled in the art tofully understand and construct ourinvention, we will proceed to describe it.

A represents a scroll, and B is a wheel fitted therein, B being theshaft of the wheel. The scroll and wheel are of usual construction, andany known form of buckets a, may be used. On the upper disk b of thewheel B and near its periphery an annular ledge c is formed. This ledgemay be cast with the disk h, or made separate and bolted to it. To theedge of the upper opening d of the scroll a metal L-shaped plate C issecured by screws or bolts e. This plate extends entirely around theedge of said opening, and it may be formed of one or more pieces.

In the drawings, Fig. l, the plate O is represented as being made insections, which probably would be the preferable way. To the horizontalpart f of the plate C an annular plate D is bolted or secured by screwsg. The plate D may be cast in one piece, and it is formed with twoannular recesses h i' in its under side. The recess h correspondsinversely with the ledge c, and the recess t' forms a shoulder whichabuts against the edge of the disk b of the wheel. The recess h receivesthe ledge c. (See Fig. l.)

By means of the plates C D and ledge c, arranged as shown, the water isprevented to a great extent from escaping upward, as usual, between thedisk b and the scroll. The amount that will nd its way through willbecomparatively small, as five angles require to be turned in its passagethrough or between the disk and scroll, as will be seen by referring toFig. l.

To the bottom of the scroll A, and encom` passing the opening G, anannular plate lo is attached, the inner edge of said plate projecting atrifle beyond the edge of the openiugj.

To the under side of the rim m, at the bottom of wheel B, a series ofbuckets Z are attached, said buckets being at the periphery of the rim mof the wheel. These buckets are curved vertically, and they project ashort distance beyond the edge of the rim m and underneath the annularplate 7.9.

The operation is as follows: The water being prevented prettyeffectuallyfrom escaping upward between the disk b and the scroll, the principalpart of the leakage-water will pass between the edge of the rim m andplate t and into the buckets Z, and in escaping therefrom will exert apower against the wheel, serving to assist in the propulsion of thewheel, the main body of wat-er acting, as usual, against the buckets et.

In all horizontal water-wheels there is more or less leakage and wasteof water between the wheel andthe scroll. It isimpossible to prevententirely this leak without creating too much friction. Hence the valueof our improvement, in which the escape of leakage-water is renderedavailable as power, the improvement being applicable to all horizon talwh eels which are fitted within scrolls.

Having Johus described our invention, what kWe claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, isf n ets Z, the annular L-sliaped plate Cand D attaohed to the scroll A, in connection With the ledge c on lsheupper surface of che disk b of .the Wheel, the Whole being arranged tooperate as and for the purpose set forth.

ALONZO WARREN. ELIJAH DAMON, JR. Witnesses:

J AMES R. SPROAT, J AMES G. SPROAT.

